Monday, October 23, 2017

"The Conflict Corner"

We talk a lot about the importance of "talking things out" when there is an issue between students in class. More often than not, a minor disagreement is simply squashed by a game of rock-paper-scissors. Sometimes we have an issue that is a little more complex, which requires students to take the time to talk things out. Students have always been encouraged to use their words and communicate how they truly feel. I feel that these social skills are super important to work on in class, but I also felt like I could be doing more.

Before the start of the school year, I came across a blog post on a fellow PE teacher blog site, one that I visit often to gather and share ideas. The title of the post was "The Conflict Corner" and was tagged under classroom management. The concept is simple, setting up a specific area of the gymnasium where students will go to resolve any conflicts that happen during class. When a student invites another student to the corner, they must join them, showing good sportsmanship. Signs are posted at the conflict corner that give students step by step guidance on how to resolve their problem. Some students won't need this as much, but it is a helpful tool for those that do.

The corner has been created at both schools, and has been used at least a dozen times. I think that it has really helped students that need assistance in working things out. It also allows for me to spend more time on helping students with the tasks they are working on. I am always available for students, and want them to come to me if they have a major issue, but having them figure out solutions to minor problems on their own is incredibly valuable, and this has been a great addition to our PE classes.

Thank you to Ben Landers at www.thePEspecialist.com for allowing me to use this idea and image!